Thursday, December 31, 2015

As some of you might know from reading my posts, I am an oboist. Most of my performing years were spent with this quintet. I love chamber music and the Wind Quintet repertoire is my favorite! We performed everything from hard core pieces to pop! The flautist doubled on piano; this was perfect since the Mozart Quintet in Eb was written for Ob, Cl, Bsn, Horn and Piano.

I scrapped this picture with the oboe part and score from the Mozart inspired by the challenge over at Scrap It With a Song. I chose Rock Me Amadeus by Falco.

I'm also sending this off to 613 Avenue Create since the optional twist is to use sheet music, lyrics, music notes in the design! I used notes and sheet music.

Stash Items: Black Script Paper, Note Charm, Washi Tape that has Mozart on it! How perfect was that find?

Thanks for stopping by today! It's always great to have you visit. Fee free to look around the site, check out my shopping page at CTMH, peruse other posts, leave questions/comments ~~ make yourself at home here!

Friday, December 25, 2015

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Every year at PATCH we talk about and celebrate Night of the Stable Animals. Now, this tradition is usually celebrated on Christmas Eve and it is the night we honor barn/stable animals for their kindness to the Baby Jesus. But here at PATCH we celebrate at the last lesson of the season so we can include the kids. This picture is of one of my students giving extra hay to a couple of the horses in the program.

Don't worry about the horses, they will get to celebrate again on Christmas Eve ~~ tonight! I love this tradition! Old folklore says animals still kneel down at midnight on Christmas Eve.Wishing you all peace and joy during Christmas!

Katrina and the ScrappyHorses HerdHarryThunderRubinJakePrinceCharlie

PATCH is a therapeutic program where we celebrate differences in some really special kiddos! Our horses are kind hearted souls who make a huge difference in their corner of the pasture! They truly know the spirit of giving!!

Monday, December 21, 2015

It's time for the Midway post for Path of Positivity! I can't believe we are at mid-December and only 4 days from Christmas! Speaking of believe…..that's the theme over at PoP this month. Our world is so full of wonder and beauty, it is hard to believe what we see.

Many of us complain about winter with its cold, bitter winds and storms. However, if we are inside with a cup of hot chocolate sitting by a warm fire, it really is nice to look out and enjoy the beauty of snow and ice! It almost feels magical and makes us believe in some sort of icy fantasy world with the icicles hanging and lovely flakes falling all around us.

I believe that is what this little Sweetie is doing! This image, called Sweet Winter, is from Pickled Potpourri. They and Fresh Brewed Designs are sponsors this month; you'll want to head over to PoP and get all the details on the challenge and all the great prizes! I'm sure you have a Christmas card or project you'd love to share that would easily fit our December theme: Believe!

Thanks for coming by today for a visit! May the week bring you joy, love and peace!

Sunday, December 20, 2015

I have a couple of announcements to make! This first one I made a while back; but in case you missed it, I'm going to be a Nana to our first grand baby! Not our first grandchild because that honor goes to my sweet little Lu who came into our family in a great package deal! ;) The newest member should arrive sometime in January. Needless to say, we are very excited our little Lucy will be getting a baby sister!

Second announcement, I have the honor of serving as a Design Team member at Through the Craft Room Door! If you visit TTCRD you will find a weekly challenge beginning every Tuesday....and there are prizes!

Through the Craft Room Door also offers an online magazine!! Yes, very cool! Please see a video preview of the magazine under the Through the Craft Room Door tab at the top of this page. Here is some info from the site about the magazine:

$18.00 year still covers a one year subscription of 6 bi-monthly issues of the magazine, as well as access to previous issues, lots of free digital images, tutorials, articles and more.

Through the Craft Room Door offers a social network craft community where you can visit pages, see inspiration and chat with other paper crafters. There is also a monthly challenge there! Oh, and I might mention again....prizes!

More info and pictures of this Diaper Bag card can be found in the Jan/Feb Through the Craft Room Door Magazine. So, please click on over to get all the details and join in on all the fun over there!

I'm so happy you came by today! As always, I love your comments/questions. Feel free to peruse the site and make yourself at home here.

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

This adorable little heart bag shape is found in Art Philosophy! I hadn't seen it before and just happened upon it today! I decided to add some mistletoe from Christmas Cartridge and a sentiment combining a couple of stamp sets (CTMH Your Are My Happy and White Pines Cardmaking Workshop). The heart was cut from Colonial White and stamped with berries, flowers and mistletoe from the White Pines Cardmaking Workshop. The berries are shining with some Liquid Glass and fine glitter.

Ok, that's it for today! We're in that final days time crunch and I'm typing quickly before a student arrives for a lesson ........ so off I go and off this heart goes to the following challenges:

Friday, December 11, 2015

That's the challenge theme over at Cut It Up! Our sponsor is One Happy Cut; they are generously giving away a Gift Certificate. You'll want to visit Cut It Up to see the DT inspiration and read about the challenge!

I love this winter picture of our family! It's 5 years old now, but I hadn't scrapped it yet and now is the time with that great theme!

I started with Balloon Ride paper from CTMH. It's retired now, but I love that paper because it has a subtle texture/print that is beautiful for backgrounds! I then cut my own Connecting Circles stencil from the Artbooking Cartridge and added texture paste.

I cut the trees and put texture paste and glitter on it. The paper backing the photo and the base of the page are from DCWV Once Upon a Time Stack.

I'm so happy you came by to visit this wintery post! I hope it warmed up your creativity to scrap some winter pictures or finish up holiday/Christmas cards! As always, I welcome your comments, questions, shopping, looking around my site, etc.

Thursday, December 10, 2015

In my real life, I am a private oboe instructor! That's when I'm not being a crafter or therapeutic horsemanship instructor!

I designed this graphic in Design Space. I made the oboe reeds out of a banner cut and a rectangle cut. Then I chose the Art Philosophy font for the OBOE. I then sliced away the vertical stroke of the B and welded the oboe reed in place. I continued welding all the letters together and the reed under the E.

There you have it! I'm including a package of cocoa mix and a candy cane and voila......an instant gift!

Monday, December 7, 2015

I ponder on the scene of shepherds watching over their flocks and keeping an eye out for predators. Sheep are not the brightest of animals and their lack of intelligence is only surpassed by their filth. Therefore, we might surmise shepherds were probably not the most respected citizens in the bible! Yet, the beautiful star appeared to them and they followed.

Wow, what true believers they were; they see a star and an angel and they believe! What a truly beautiful part of the Christmas Story for generations to come.

* * *

Thisbeautiful Shepherd image is from Fresh Brewed Designs ~ one of the generous sponsors for the challenge over at Path of Positivity where the theme is Believe! What a great theme for this time of year as we celebrate Christmas, Hanukah, and other holidays dear to our hearts.

Card details:

I started with the image and scanned it into Cricut Design Space where I used Print and Cut. My first print was attached to a rectangle, the second was printed at the same size but the shepherd and sheep were cut. This gave me the option to use 3-dimensional tape and pop the image off the background.

My background and star were sponged with CTMH inks. The center star is a Cricut cut heat embossed with gold powder. To achieve the texture on the shepherd's robe, I stamped the pattern in a couple of colors, added some water color pencil, and then went over the robe with a Copic.

I loved this image so much, I did it again with a different technique. I printed a copy of the text from the bible with the image over it. I inked it with many of the same techniques. I distressed the edges to give it a more "shepherd(y)" look! ; ) I did take out the grass because it made the text difficult to see.

So, now it's your turn to share your thoughts on "Believe." Maybe it's faith based, maybe it's a philosophy, or maybe it's believing in yourself! Click on over to Path of Positivity to check out the theme, DT inspirations and all the wonderful prizes being offered by our sponsors this month! I believe you'll be glad you did!

I'm sorry to report these are all retired stamp sets, but you might have some sets with a word you might want to use.

I stamped somewhat randomly with different shades of blue: Sky, Twilight, Crystal Blue, Dutch Blue, etc. Then using Versa Mark and Ranger Gold Powder, I heat embossed the Dove. Then I sponged Sky ink around her. She is backed with Daisy White and Peacock.

Just a reminder, if you have some last minute holiday shopping, CTMH has lots of fun gifts. My favorite this year has to be the new Planner Bundle with picture/scrapping options! The bundle is specially priced this month. Check it out HERE or see the video about it HERE. I can't wait to get mine....it's ordered! I just have to wait a few more days!!

Friday, December 4, 2015

I wanted to do a very frosty card with a Victorian Flair to it, so I decided to combine some jewelry with this cute little snowman carrying his gifts and cocoa.

The image is from CTMH Christmas Post. I stamped him with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto watercolor paper and then heat embossed with clear powder. I then used a few different mediums to color him including: CTMH watercolors, CTMH water color pencils, and gel pens.

I sponged in some Sky background. My shape is from the Artistry Cartridge.

I filled the shaker with white glitter, beads and white sequins. The frame is cut from White Pines.

This beautiful card base is from the Artfully Sent Cartridge....which just happens to be included in the CTMH Cyber Sale....along with that cute snowflake charm! If you are interested, be quick! That sale ends tonight!

Anyway, I added the CTMH shimmer trim colored with Sky ink, the blue bow from stash along with the jewels!

Thanks for visiting today! There are lots of fun deals still happening at Cyber Week at CTMH. The planners are now available for purchase, also! You can see it all Here or Here! I'll also add, the December Stamp of the Month has to be one of my all time favorites; it is beautiful with some lovely sentiments!